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Subscribe to RSS FeedTongans brace for a feast
Tongan hard man Epi Taione
Tongan hard man Epi Taione says they cannot wait to face England in a World Cup Pool A decider at Parc des Princes in Paris on Friday.
The tough-as-nails 28-year-old, who is no stranger to the English players, has been a key figure in the Tongans' campaign in France.
He scored what proved to be the match-winning try in Tonga's victory over Samoa last week and was an influential figure as the Polynesians came close to upsetting South Africa on Saturday.
Now he and his team-mates are gearing up for the winner-takes-all meeting with England, and Taione cannot contain his excitement ahead of the game.
"It's the biggest game in our history, it's going to be massive," Taione said.
"It depends on how much the players want it. If we are hungry and want it more than England, then I don't see a problem.
"I know personally a lot of their players from my time in England, you know, Taity [Mathew Tait], Noony [Jamie Noon], Wilko [Jonny Wilkinson], Robbo [Jason Robinson]. They are all good players who have done it on the biggest stage.
"We know them inside out, we have played together for a long time, we know their strengths. So it comes down to the day and we can surprise them.
"It's all about Tonga now and we have a great chance."
Taione was speaking about the players he got to know during his time in the English Premiership, a part of his career that came to an unsavoury end last year after a controversial biting incident.
He first made his name at Newcastle Falcons, whom he joined from Tynedale, before completing a move to Sale Sharks.
But Taione's stay at Edgeley Park did not last long and his contract was not renewed when he was banned for 18 weeks in February 2006 after pleading guilty to biting Munster's Denis Leamy in a Heineken Cup match.
He slipped away quietly and has since been making a name for himself in the Japanese league with Sanyo Wild Knights. But the World Cup has seen him snatch the limelight once again.
Taione also revealed that Tonga are trying to clean up their image and discard the tag associated with most Pacific teams as going over the top with their tackling.
Some of their shuddering hits during the 30-25 defeat to the Springboks in Lens at the weekend induced winces from the crowd, and the South Africans knew they had been in a game when they trudged off with bumps and bruises but more importantly a bonus-point win.
Tonga play on the edge and it is body-on-the-line stuff.
They have already had their disciplinary issues this tournament, with flanker Hale T Pole sent off against Samoa for a dangerous tackle.
"You look at the players we had out and a lot of them play in France and England, and playing there has helped us," he said.
"I was brought up playing in England and it's a professional environment.
"I think we have been unfairly targeted in the past by referees but we are improving and it will help that many of our players play over here."
Tonga, who were just 7-3 down at the break against a largely second-string South Africa, found themselves 10-7 ahead going into the final 25 minutes.
By that time, Springboks coach Jake White had been forced to bring on his big guns from the bench and the likes of Bryan Habana, Victor Matfield, captain John Smit and Juan Smith helped put their team 27-10 in front.
Tries by Tongans Sukanaivalu Hufanga and Viliami Vaki in the final, gripping 10 minutes brought about the chance of a massive upset, but they could not complete the comeback.
Taione was nevertheless proud of the display.
"It was a massive step forward for Tongan rugby and so important for the nation," he said.
"We were aiming for the win. I know a lot of people would not have agreed with that and we showed that we were right to think that.
"We took a good South Africa side down to the wire. Tonga have never gone that close and we could have won it in the last five minutes.
"We are disappointed but we have to regroup and refocus and look forward to the England game. The momentum is building."
